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German delegation investigating Lebanese central bank governor storms out of Justice Palace

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By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: A German judicial delegation stormed out of the Justice Palace in Beirut on Wednesday, disappointed that its requests had been turned down. The German delegation was the first to arrive in Beirut, followed by delegations from France and Luxembourg, to investigate alleged fraud by Riad Salameh, the governor of the Mediterranean country’s central bank, the Banque du Liban. Salameh’s name was mentioned in cases related to financial transfers from Lebanon to the banks of the aforementioned countries. The delegations will try to identify the sources of the funds and their connection to corruption, money laundering and financial crimes in European countries. Arab News learned that the German delegation met on Wednesday with the appellate public prosecutor in Beirut, Judge Raja Hamoush, who was assigned to facilitate the delegation’s work and to show them Salameh’s file, which the Lebanese public prosecutor’s Court of Cassation had investigated without charging anyone.

However, the German delegation included officials from the German police, so Hamoush asked them to leave the office, as the meeting was purely judicial, arguing that they had no capacity to be there or view any files. A judicial source told Arab News: “The German judges were equipped with advanced cameras. When the file was placed in front of them, and it was sealed with red wax, they asked if they could photograph its contents once opened as it includes hundreds of documents and papers. Hamoush refused and said that the judges should submit their request to the public prosecution’s Court of Cassation.” The source added: “They then asked to take a couple of snaps using their mobile phones, but Hamoush categorically turned down such requests. The delegation thus left Hamoush’s office and headed to that of Public Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat, and the file remained sealed with red wax.” The source noted that the delegation asked Oueidat to be allowed to photocopy the file, but he told them that he needed a written request and to know exactly what they wanted from the file. Following this, the German delegation stormed out of Oueidat’s office and left the Palace of Justice.

Maronite Patriarch asks for international help for Lebanon - full statement

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by indcatholicnews.com -- Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, and the head of the Maronite Church, gave an overview of the situation in Lebanon on Tuesday evening, explaining that the country needs help from the United Nations and called for a resolution to address the situation in Palestine. The Patriarch, who is visiting the UK on a trip organised by Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East, (FACE) said Lebanon in the past had been "exposed to greed" and was "a venue for wars, hostilities, occupation, assassinations and injustices."

Patriarch al-Rahi told a press conference at Archbishops House, Westminster, that now his country is facing a "demographic problem and an economic problem" due to shocking inflation, and having to take in millions of refugees from Syria and Palestinian which has put a strain on the country.The Patriarch said: "In order to protect Lebanon, keep it secure, stable and united it ought to be removed from regional and international conflicts, while remaining committed to legitimate Arab just causes, particularly the Palestinian cause, and to the United Nations resolutions." "We ask the United Nations to call for a Special International Conference on Lebanon," he added.

Such a conference, according to Patriarch al-Rahi, would support "devising a solution for the Palestinian problem; the facilitation and encouragement of Syrian repatriation and their assistance in their own country; the declaration of the positive neutrality of Lebanon through a Security Council Declaration." Patriarch al-Rahi also had some warm words for the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who visited Lebanon in 2012. Explaining how the speech of any pope "carries a lot of weight," he said: "The pope made three main speeches, besides his sermon. He spoke about the importance of Lebanon and the identity. "If you read his speeches you will see a lot of his ideas being held [today]. The speeches of any pope in any country have a permanent impact." Patriarch al-Rahi asked people in the UK to "invest in Lebanon", advocate on the country's behalf, and support a two-state solution in Palestine. He finished by saying: "I can assure you that the Maronites present throughout the world are carrying the cause of Lebanon with them."

Maronite Patriarch meets with UK politicians and Lebanese delegations

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by indcatholicnews.com -- On his first official visit to the UK, His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Maronite Church, has taken part in a series of meetings with church leaders, politicians and Lebanese delegations yesterday. He was welcomed to Lambeth Palace by Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop said: "We prayed together for Christians in the Middle East, especially Lebanon - a place close to my heart." The Patriarch then went on to the Palace of Westminster, where he took part in a number of official meetings, most notably with Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State for the Middle East; Sarah Mackintosh, Deputy National Security Adviser, who has responsibility for the Middle East; and with Parliamentarians, organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group to the Holy See.

The Patriarch was accompanied by Archbishop Paul Boulos El-Sayah; His Excellency Rami Mortada, Ambassador of Lebanon to the United Kingdom; and Mr Maran Francis, Counsellor at the Lebanese Embassy. In recent days, His Beatitude has also met with representatives of various Lebanese parties at the Maronite Parish in London, for which meeting he was accompanied by Abbot Hadi Mahfouz, General Superior of the Lebanese Maronite Order, and Father Fadi Kmeid, Maronite parish priest in London.

India is about to pass China as the world's most populous country

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Story by Marquise Francis -- AFP -- India is expected to surpass China and become the world’s most populous nation within the next three months, according to a recent report by the United Nations’ population division, marking a seismic shift on the global stage in a trend with significant social and economic impact for both countries. “Most people think India's economy is still a fraction of what it could be in the future, which means there's so much promise,” Dr. Audrey Truschke, an associate professor of South Asian History at Rutgers University, told Yahoo News, adding that much of the potential is due in large part to India being “such a young country.”

Of the rapidly growing 1.41 billion people in India, about 1 in 4 are under the age of 15 and nearly half are under 25. By comparison, China’s population is about 1.45 billion, but those under 25 make up only a quarter of the population. “The Indian subcontinent has always supported a robust human population,” Truschke said. “India has also long been compared to China, and they have for a long time traded with one another. So as much changes over the course of human history, that's something that recurs — both the dense population of the subcontinent, as well as the comparison with China.” Since 1950, India and China have accounted for an estimated 35% of the world’s population growth, with China emerging as a global industrial power. Combined, the two population epicenters are a significant slice of the world’s roughly 8 billion people.

Instagram is going back to its roots

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By Brad Kallet, Editor at LinkedIn News - Your Instagram navigation bar is going to look a bit different in February. Beginning next month, the Meta-owned social media giant is going to put the Compose button (the + sign) back in the center of the navigation bar, and the Reels button will be moved to the right. Instagram is also removing the Shop tab from the bar. The redesign and removal of the Shop prompt comes in the wake of repeated calls for Instagram to return to its roots as a photo-sharing platform, TechCrunch reports. Though the Shop tab will no longer be visible, Instagram says that Instagram Shopping is not going away.

Lebanese Hezbollah condemns Charlie Hebdo cartoons in France

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BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group on Tuesday condemned the cartoons published recently by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that mocked Iran's ruling clerics and urged France to punish the publication. The Iran-backed Hezbollah said the offensive caricatures were an “ugly act by the magazine” that targeted Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, revered as the spiritual leader for tens of millions of pious Shiites throughout the world, including in Lebanon. There was no immediate comment from France. Charlie Hebdo has a long history of publishing vulgar cartoons mocking Islamists, which critics say are deeply insulting to Muslims. Two French-born al-Qaida extremists attacked the newspaper’s office in 2015, killing 12 cartoonists, and it has been the target of other attacks over the years.

Its latest issue features the winners of a recent cartoon contest in which entrants were asked to draw the most offensive caricatures of Khamenei. The contest was billed as a show of support for the monthslong anti-government protests rocking Iran. One of the finalists depicts a turbaned cleric reaching for a hangman’s noose as he drowns in blood, while another shows Khamenei clinging to a giant throne above the raised fists of protesters. Others depict more vulgar and sexually explicit scenes. “We call upon the French government to take decisive measures to punish those behind the act for attacking dignitaries of a whole nation,” Hezbollah said in a statement. “The French government ... should not be a partner in this offense.” Members of Hezbollah, a Shiite group, also consider Khamenei as their religious leader. Charlie Hebdo, which has published similarly offensive cartoons about dead child migrants, virus victims, neo-Nazis, popes, Jewish leaders and other public figures, presents itself as an advocate for democracy and free expression. But it routinely pushes the limits of French hate speech laws with often sexually explicit caricatures that target nearly everyone.

US sales drive Rolls Royce to record

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By Alessandra Riemer, Editor at LinkedIn News, Record-high inflation doesn't seem to be driving away buyers in the luxury auto market, especially in the U.S. British carmaker Rolls-Royce made about 35% of its sales across the pond last year, at an average $534,000 a pop. The BMW-owned company also sold the most vehicles in its nearly 120-year history overall during 2022, totaling 6,021 — a 8% jump from the year prior, The Financial Times reports. The sales came despite a "single-digit drop" in China, as lockdowns hindered sales its second-largest market. CEO Torsten Müller-Otvös said growth was helped by its customization program called Bespoke, which allows buyers to personalize their own vehicle.